XCOM: Enemy Unknown Slingshot DLC detailed

2K Games and Firaxis have jointly announced the first downloadable content for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, one of the few franchise reboots in recent years to get our coveted Premium Grade award.

Designed to provide further meat to the single-player campaign, the Slingshot Content Pack - the first of a planned duo of DLC for the game - introduces a new set of linked Council missions in which players will meet an enigmatic Triad operative, divert an alien ship's course and finally do battle in the skies over China. Three new maps are included, a new playable squad character with unique backstory and voice acting is bundled, and players also get access to new character customisation options.

Joining the Slingshot Content Pack is the Elite Soldier Pack, originally provided as a pre-order bonus for the game and now available as a separate purchase. Those who missed out are being given the chance of parting with £3.69 - or 400 Microsoft Points, if you're an Xbox 360 user - to gain access to a character inspired by the original blonde brute from X-COM: UFO Defense, new decoration packs for unit troops and the ability to completely customise the colour and tint of all armour sets in the game.

While extra content is to be welcomed - especially by those who are already on their Nth playthrough of the game - charging for the ability to customise the colour of in-game troops is likely to leave a bad taste in players' mouths. That said, the Elite Soldier Pack is entirely optional - it makes no difference to the game at all, beyond aesthetic changes.

Pricing and a release date for the Slingshot Content Pack have yet to be confirmed, with 2K Games expected to release the content across PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms simultaneously.